Ralph Straughan Jackson was born on April 6, 1919. He was married to Margaret Addison Jackson. He began his business career in 1937 with the Louisville branch of the Federal Reserve Bank, later moving in 1939 to the Farmers and Depositors Bank in St. Matthews. In 1941, he joined the sales force of Axton-Fisher Tobacco Company. In 1942, Jackson joined the Army Air Corps and flew 42 combat missions as a B-24 pilot while serving in Africa and Italy. He served in the 512th Bomber Squadron, 376th Bomber Group, as a First Lieutenant and Pilot of B-24 #42-72768 nicknamed 'Ready, Willing, and Able' during World War II.

On December 28, 1943, the B-24 Liberator Ready, Willing, and Able was shot down during an intense air battle over northern Italy. The aircraft was part of a 376th Bomb Group mission targeting the railroad marshaling yards near Vicenza when the formation was intercepted by a large force of Axis fighters. All six B-24s from the 512th Squadron, including Ready, Willing, and Able, were lost in the engagement. The bomber crashed near Vicenza, resulting in five crew members killed in action, while the surviving crew member was captured and taken prisoner of war. The loss occurred amid a broader attack in which more than 70 Axis fighters assaulted the formation, leading to the destruction of multiple heavy bombers before and after the target area.

1Lt Jackson was captured and held as a prisoner of war at Stalag Luft 1, Barth-Vogelsang, Prussia. Following the war, he entered radio and television broadcasting at WAVE in Louisville and became deeply involved in the broadcasting industry. He served three four-year terms on the NBC-TV Affiliates Board, including two terms as secretary-treasurer. He also held board positions with the Association of Maximum Service Telecasters, the Association of Broadcast Engineering Standards, the National Association of Broadcasters Research Committee, and the All-Industry TV Music Licensing Committee. He died on December 21, 2006, and is now buried in the Six Oaks Cemetery, Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County, South Carolina, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, https://midwestflyer.com